Post Office scandal: Sunak mulls bill on quashing convictions after TV drama

Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake has said the government is “definitely not ruling out” emergency legislation to quash all the convictions that arose during the Horizon scandal.

“We are definitely not ruling that out, but I can’t confirm that is the solution we will adopt right now,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

And he insisted that the government had been considering such an approach before the ITV drama thrust the issue back into the spotlight.

Asked whether there is evidence of that, Mr Hollinrake said: “It’s not something we’d put in public – the kind of deliberations we have in government about different options – and clearly this is not an option where the postal affairs minister can make a decision on his own.”

He added that if legislation was brought forward to overturn convictions “en bloc” it could be seen to be “interfering with the independent courts process”.

It comes as the spotlight turns on the company at the centre of the scandal, after Fujitsu’s faulty accounting software Horizon helped lead to the conviction of more than 700 Post Office branch managers.

Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

The wrongful convictions of hundreds of subpostmasters due to faulty digital accounting software has been described as the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK history.

The scandal has recently come back into the spotlight following ITV’s four-part drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

The Horizon IT system is accounting software, owned by Japanese company Fujitsu, which saw accounts automated after subpostmasters entered their sales figures via a touchscreen.

Postal services minister Kevin Hollinrake said there are powers in place to make sure witnesses appear before the statutory inquiry into the Horizon scandal.

It comes after the Telegraph reported that an engineer understood to be connected to the development of the faulty software involved is demanding immunity for their testimony.

“That’s absolutely the wrong approach for that person to take if those reports are true,” the minister told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

He added: “The statutory inquiry does have the power to make sure that witnesses do give evidece, but clearly our crime agencies and police definitely have that power.”

Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake said former Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells has done the “right thing” by handing back her CBE.

He refused to be drawn on whether she should return her bonuses from the role, telling Times Radio that he did not agree with “trial by media”.

However, Mr Hollinrake said it was “certainly possible” that some individuals are guilty of criminal offences and that action should be taken where there is evidence of that.

Andy Furey of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), said it would “only be right” for her to return any bonuses she received from the Post Office – believed to amount to around £2.2m.

The union leader has also said that the relevant authorities must give “serious consideration” to bringing criminal proceedings against her.

Some 130 people affected by the Horizon scandal have come forward since a new TV programme dramatising the miscarriage of justice aired, the postal services minister has said.

Kevin Hollinrake told Sky News: “I think 130 people have come forward to one of the key solicitors in this … so it’s good that people are coming forward .

”The minister urged anyone affected to make themselves known to the compensation scheme itself or the government – promising processes would be “quick”.

Postal minister Kevin Hollinrake said Rishi Sunak’s government believes it has a “solution” to the Horizon scandal convictions and an announcement is “imminent”.

Mr Hollinrake told Sky News he could not promise a “particular timeframe” as a decision “has not been finalised”.

“We’re very, very close,” he said – refusing to “speculate” as to whether an announcement might come as soon as Wednesday afternoon.

Justice secretary Alex Chalk revealed on Tuesday that Mr Sunak is “actively considering” an emergency bill to quash all 800 Horizon scandal convictions at once.

No 10 said the judiciary had not challenged the government’s proposal to overturn the convictions, after crunch meetings were held on Tuesday – and suggested that a legislative plan would be announced in the coming days.